Jade Childs
by Jadaline Skies
Summary: A young girl with a brilliant mind is being targeted by a Russian terrorist group. S.H.I.E.L.D. sends Agent Clint Barton to protect her, if anything were to happen to her Stark would go nuclear.
1. Chapter 1

The Helicarrier was oddly quiet as Agent Clint Bourton walked down the corridors, it had been too quiet to long and now it was even more so. The air held the hint of the inevitable, a bomb in their silence.

Clint arrived in the meeting room to find Fury with his back to the door, obviously taking in the silence that was soon to be broken. "You requested me sir?"

Fury turned folding his hands behind his back and sighing. "I have an assignment for you, one that needs to be kept under the radar."

"So a hit? On who?" Clint questioned as he sat at the table to look at the lone file that rested heavily on the table. Fury remained silent as Clint flipped open the cover of the manila folder, his eyes coming to rest on the picture of a young girl, she couldn't have been older then eighteen. Looking up at Fury with questioning eyes, he got no answer to his burning question of why he was being sent after such a young girl. Looking back at the folder he scanned for more information,

Name: Jade Childs

DOB: May 6th, 1993

Gender: Female

Born: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Mother: Brenda Childs

Father: UNKNOWN

Graduated High School: 2002 (top of class)

Stanford University

-PhD in Genetics

University of Glasgow

-Master's Degree in Molecular & Cellular Biology

He read on flipping page after page. She was intelligent he'd give her that and at such a young age, probably why she was now being followed by S.H.I.E.L.D.

The last page in the folder was a birth certificate; glancing over it two very well know words caught his eyes.

Father: **Anthony Edward Stark**

"So not a hit then?" Clint smirked as he looked back up at Fury.

"Not a hit, more like protection duty." Clint's smirk faded as he folded his arms on his chest and leaned back in the chair, he did not like the sounds of this.

"We have reason to believe Jade is being targeted by a Russian bio chemical terrorist group. Our reconnaissance team has intercepted a transmission to a small cell group in New York with a plan to apprehend Jade for their final stages in developing their bio chemical weapon." Fury began to slowly walk around the table towards Clint.

"We need you to protect her until this group makes its move. We will then be able to apprehend them and hopefully get the information that we need out of them on the whereabouts of this terrorist groups base." Fury stopped behind Clint turning to face the doorway. "Suit up, you leave now." Clint could hear Fury's footsteps getting quieter as he walked towards the door. "Stark doesn't know about her, and we would like to keep it that way until your mission is completed and she is aboard this ship.

"You mean, until we are finished using her as bait." Clint spoke turning his head just enough to see Fury out of the corner of his eye. "There will be hell to pay after this mission is over you know."

Fury didn't turn to look at Clint he knew it wasn't a question. "I know."

Clint listened as the door opened and closed, leaving him with just his own thoughts in the cold quiet room. Flipping backwards through the pages he stopped again on Jade's profile picture, studying it making sure he would have no problems picking her out of a crowd. Then he went through each page again carefully learning as much as he could about his assignment, there was no way he would survive Stark's wrath if this assignment went south.


	2. Chapter 2

Clint had been in New York for a week now just in time for the chill of the early December air; a room was booked at the Affinia 50 Hotel a floor above Jade's room. He had spent his time when he first got there tracking her movements and trying to decide what he best tactic would be to keep her safe and complete his mission.

Fury had told him to do whatever he felt was necessary in order to complete his mission, even if that included divulging who he worked for, he just had to make sure that the terrorist group didn't suspect anything. Clint decided however he would use this as his last approach the less she knew the less of a chance there was they would find out who he worked for.

He noticed upon first arriving that Jade kept her entire days schedule in a small black leather bound book, the cover quite used looking and the pages torn and ripped some only seemed to stay in the book because of the bright green elastic band she had securing it tightly together. She planned everything from her morning coffee to her study schedule to her half an hour before bed tea and book. The best plan of action was to get close to her; this could probably best be done by "bumping" into her when she went for her morning coffee. She spent two hours in the morning at the coffee shop across the street working on her laptop before heading to NYU where she was teaching classes.

Dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans and a plain black t-shirt Clint got ready for his first meet with Jade. After brushing his teeth and putting on his shoes he grabbed a ratty looking dress jacket and while throwing it over his shoulder excited the hotel. He made it to the café with enough time to get a coffee which then was crushed against his body seeping through his shirt and scolding his skin.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Jade fretted grabbing a handful of napkins from the nearby counter and attempting to sop up some of the coffee from Clint's shirt.

"Don't worry about it, it's not too bad." Clint offered while peeling the wet shirt away from his body slightly allowing some cool air to relieve his burnt skin. Jade just looked up at him with a look that reminded him of her father, a look that said I know your lying. "Really it's fine." Clint lightly grabbed Jade's wrist and looked at her with a reassuring smile.

"Well if you say so." Jade backed away slightly and held up the wet napkins. "At least let me buy you a new coffee, and perhaps pay your cleaning bill."

"I take it black." Clint smiled and proceeded to take a seat near her regular spot. Jade sat across from him a few minutes later coffee in hand.

"I'm Jade by the way." She slid his coffee towards him and smiled lightly at him. Clint took this moment to take her in today her bright green eyes were hidden behind her heavy black plastic framed glasses. Her long blonde hair was tied back in a low and very messy bun. Her fit frame was in its normal boot cut dark blue jeans and form fitting turtle neck sweater to fend off some of the cold. Today it was red matching her red winter dress jacket.

"Clint." Jade's smile widened as she raised her coffee to her lips not taking her eyes off of him. She took a small sip and then rested her cup back down on the table.

"Well it's nice to meet you Clint."


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few days Clint constantly watched over Jade from above, looking for any potential danger. He met her every morning at the café for coffee before she went to work. Clint was hitting the two week mark of his mission and there was still no sign of anyone tracking Jade.

"Morning!" Jade smiled down at Clint as she held out a coffee for him. He gladly took it as he had spent most of the night on the roof watching over the city streets for any unusual activity. "So Clint I know we kind of just met and this might sound a little forward but there is this mixer tomorrow night, and everyone usually brings a date and I get stuck listening to how the Jefferson's are going to be spending their Christmas in the Bahamas, and how the Michael's will be going to Paris this year."

"So you want me to endure this torture with you?"

"Oh please god yes. I'll shoot myself if I have to go through all of this again." Jade's smile faded from her face. "I guess spending every Christmas alone without anyone and hearing how great everyone's families are makes me a little bitter."

"You don't have anyone to spend the holidays with?" Clint questioned, there was nothing in her file about any other family besides her mother who had passed away just two years prior.

"No, it was always just mom and I. My dad died just before I was born and my mom said her family disowned her once they found out she was pregnant. She came from a very Christian home and once they discovered she was pregnant out of wed lock they cut all ties."

"Your mom did a great job of raising you then, you've accomplished so much in such a small amount of time." Clint didn't realize she had it this bad, if only she knew she still had family, if only she knew who her father really was.

"Thankfully, I had the brain and my father had the money, when he passed away he left my mom a small fortune, enough that we wouldn't have to worry for a very long time." Jade shook her head and put her smile back on. "So is that a yes! I would owe you forever."

"It would be an honour to accompany you, besides it beats sitting around in my hotel room on a Saturday night." Clint smiled back at Jade.

"Great, so I'll meet you up at your room say about six, dress sharp pretty boy." Jade smirked as she stood up grabbing her bag from the floor. "I'm going to be late again." Then she was gone, out the door rushing towards the university.

The rest of the day went by quite quickly for Clint as he spent most of it speaking with Director Fury regarding the status of his mission, or at least the lack of status. Fury had told him Stark has been starting to snoop around knowing that the information he had given him on Clint's whereabouts was false. Agent Barton had been given seventy two hours if by then there was still no new information regarding the terrorist group then he was to place a tracking device on her and report back to headquarters.

A knock sounded on the door of his room, while doing up the last few buttons of his shirt has swiftly walked over to the door and opened, and what he saw took his breath away. He knew at that moment he was about to compromise his mission, he was getting attached. She was just a mission, and at that Tony Starks daughter.

She stood there in a white flowing off the shoulder knee length dress, with a giant black sash around the waist. Her hair was styled bone straight and she had her winter dress jacket draped over her arm.

Jade smiled brightly at him taking him in, he wore black dress pants and a black button down shirt, the cuffs of which were rolled up slightly allowing her to see the muscle that lied right above his wrists. His hair was slightly messed and he had a blue tooth in his ear.

"You look very stunning tonight Jade." Clint smiled as he motioned for her to come in. She stepped in her black heals making no noise on the carpeted floor. "You look not to bad yourself." Jade spoke as she surveyed his room. Clint shut the door and proceeded to take the piece out of his ear and set in on the counter by the door, watching as Jade's eyes darted around the room in an inquisitive manner. He noticed her eyes land on the S.H.I.E.L.D. issue tablet that lay on the coffee table.

"So what is it that you do exactly?" Jade recognized that tablet to anyone else it would just look like any other piece of machinery, but to her she knew it exact dimensions, what information it was linked to and who they were issued by. She had held one in her hands only a few weeks ago.

"I trade stocks." Clint said plainly, watching as Jade's hand shakily reached toward the device.

"You work for S.H.I.E.L.D. don't you?" Clint was taken by surprise; she turned to look at him as she picked up the tablet and turned it on seeing her own face looking back at her. "Are you here to kill me because I didn't except your bosses offer? I know what S.H.I.E.L.D. does to people who are deemed important to the cause. They either get them or no one does."

"I'm here to protect you." Clint said sternly walking towards Jade and taking the tablet out of her hands, turning it off and setting it back on the table.

"Why? I told Director Fury I didn't want to work for them, that I liked my job, I liked my life and I wasn't about to give it all up to help him make his super soldiers."

"We have reason to believe your life is in danger. Whatever Director Fury wanted you for so does a Russian terrorist group." Jade sighed and plopped down on the couch.

"Why all of this then, why not just come to me and tell me," Clint walked around the couch to stand behind her, watching her as her shoulders slumped forward. "Unless you were using me as bait."

"You were never going to be in any danger. Once they showed themselves I was to take them in and bring you with." He heard Jade sigh again and then she stood up.

"We are going to be late." She said with a smile heading towards the door. She threw her jacket on and opened the door turning back to smile as Clint. "Let me just have one more normal night, even if I have to spend in with those crack pots." Giggling her smile widened. Clint grabbed his jacket from a chair by the door and followed Jade out of the room.

They arrived at the party to find everyone chatting and dancing. We placed our coats in coat check and proceed further into the party.


	4. Chapter 4

Clint held out his hand to Jade, and she took it with a smile. The party was bustling around them with talk and dancing, everyone was having such a good time, not a care in the world. Clint slowly walked Jade to the dance floor and swiftly made their way to the center of the people. Clint stood to face Jade and slowly placed a hand on her hip and grabbed her hand with his other, pulling her in closely to him. Jade placed her free hand on Clint's shoulder and the two began to sway along to the music.

The night grew darker and by this time Jade had her head resting on Clint's chest, even with her heals she was still a whole head shorter than him. "Thank you." Jade whispered not moving to look at Clint.

"Don't worry about it." Clint answered back well staring out through the large picture window, across the street to where a floral delivery service van had pulled up and five men dressed in black overalls jumped out of the back. Scanning them the largest one seemed to be motioning orders, Clint smirked, the leader that's the one he wanted to take in the rest had to go. The men started to head towards the building the party was in, pulling away from Jade he rested his hands on her shoulders looking down at her with an emotionless face, it was time to do his job, his mission.

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a small GPS tracking device, and held it up for Jade to see. "In about sixty seconds men are going to storm in here, they are going to try and take you." Clint placed the small device in between her dress and the sash around her waist. "I will be able to find you anywhere with that, just in case. No matter what happens you will be fine, I will protect you. I want you to go to the kitchen and hide; I will come find you once it's safe." Clint pushed her towards the kitchen and got ready for the action. Soon screams filled the air as the men broke up the party with gun fire.

Clint rushed towards two of the men swiftly dodging their fire and incapacitating them quickly, as he was rising back up he heard Jade scream. Turning sharply he found Jade being grabbed by the man he presumed to be the leader. Sprinting towards them Clint watched as they disappeared into the kitchen. Two more overall clad men ran at Clint, taking no time at all he had them both down unconscious on the floor. Rushing through the doors to the kitchen he looked around for any sign of Jade through the scared staff, one of them pointing towards a delivery entrance to the right, taking off he rushed out into the cold night air. Clint emerged into a dead and empty alley way, grabbing his cell phone out he called headquarters.

"I need you to track Jade's locater." Fury's laughter echoed through the empty alley way through Clint's phone.

"Lose your mark Agent Barton?" Clint didn't say anything just hung up the phone and shoved it back in his pocket. A few seconds passed and a ladder dropped down in front of him, grabbing it he was hoisted up into the air, and was pulled into the silent aircraft above. Once the door behind him was shut Clint looked around the carrier to see everyone at their posts. Computers lined the walls, a beeping sound came from the farthest computer nearest the cockpit.

"We're heading to her location now. You might want to suit up." Came the voice of Natasha, turning Clint found Natasha holding his bow out towards him, a smirk plastered on her face. Grabbing his bow he made his way towards his suit and got ready to get Jade back.

"Where are you taking me?" Jade whispered as she was shoved out of a van and onto the pavement below unable to stop herself from connecting with the ground due to her hands being bound behind her back. Looking around Jade found herself on a dock, the man who had grabbed her stepping gracefully out of the van. "I'm not going to make you any super soldiers!"

"You will do whatever we want you to do girl." The man spoke as he leaned down to be face to face with Jade. "You're ours now." Smirking he grabbed her face roughly making her look straight at him, and then with that chance she spit on him. Jumping back and wiping his face he looked back down at her angrily, reeling his hand back quickly he brought it down on her cheek with a loud crack causing her head to whip to the side. Searing pain shot across her face and her eyes began to water, she was quickly brought out of her daze however when she heard the man scream. Looking back at him she found him hand pinned by an arrow to the back of the van door.

"Don't you know it's impolite to hit a lady!" Came a female voice from behind Jade turning around she found a red headed woman holding two guns towards the man against the van and a plethora of soldiers behind her. Out of the corner of Jade's eye she saw a shadow descend from a warehouse roof a few feet away, landing on the ground gracefully the figure walked towards the group.

The woman with red hair came and freed Jade from her restraints; she then extended a hand to help her up slowly. Jade suddenly hissed in pain and grabbed her right arm with her left. The woman lightly padded her arm down and found she screamed again in pain when she came to rest at her shoulder. "I'm Natasha Romanoff by the way, and I believe your shoulders been dislocated."

"Thanks for saving me," Smiled Jade as she continued to grip her arm in pain.

"Unfortunately I couldn't save you quick enough; Stark is going to have my head." Clint's voice sounded from behind Natasha. The red head stepped to the side to allow Clint to get closer to Jade.

Jade stared wide eyed at Clint the man who had just been dressed in a black dress shirt and pants was now wearing a tight black sleeveless uniform, a sleek compound bow in his right hand and a quiver full of arrows on his back. Jade looked from Clint to the man that was still withering in pain against the van then looked back to Clint surprise written all over her face, at least until the pain settled in again and her knees gave way as the adrenalin rush wore off.

Clint stepped forward quickly and grabbed Jade before she could hit the ground. She smiled meekly at him and before she could even get out a thank you Clint had lifted her carefully up into his arms.

Clint refused to let go of Jade and eventually she had fallen asleep in his arms, he was gratefully for this as he knew she wouldn't be in so much pain this way.

Soon Clint had Jade aboard the Helicarrier and finally allowed her to be taken from his arms once they were at the medical bay. They sedated her right away to keep her under as the relocated her shoulder and patched up a few scrapes, Clint all the while never leaving her. He stayed out of the way of the medics but refused to leave the room until she was no longer being poked and prodded. Soon it was just Clint, Jade and the beeping from the machines that were watching her vitals.


	5. Chapter 5

Tony, Steve, Director Fury and Clint were all in the meeting room. Steve was leaning against the wall by the door, watching as Stark and Fury fought. A few minutes had passed and he let his gaze fall to Clint who just sat quietly at the table, back straight, eyes looking off into the distance.

"Did you not think I would have ever found out!" Stark yelled, his face inches from Fury's.

"Well maybe you shouldn't have been snooping around in our files." Fury stated calmly.

"I don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D as far as I can throw them of course I'm going to snoop around in your files. You knew all this time and you never told me."

"You told Brenda you didn't want to have anything to do with her or her child." This broke what little sanity Tony had left and reeling back his right arm he unleashed all his strength onto Fury's jaw. Fury shaken by the sudden impact tumbled backwards and onto the floor, Tony then shook his hand in pain and stormed out of the room. Clint stood quickly and followed him catching his attention once they were out in the corridor.

"She's awake now, if you'd like to meet her." Clint spoke tentatively, not sure what his punishment would be for not informing Stark about Jade earlier, but Tony just nodded his head. The pair walked quietly down the corridors of the helicarrier towards the medical bay.

Arriving at the door, Clint knocked lightly. "Come in." Doctor Banner's voice sounded from behind the sheet of metal. The door slid open quietly and Clint entered to see Banner standing next to Jade who was sitting on her bed legs dangling off the side, her injured arm held against her chest with a black brace, and a giant smile plastered on her face.

Clint's eyes connected with Jade's and he noticed they brightened up and a warm smile came to her face. Her legs began to swing back and forth in the air in anticipation of being released. "How are you feeling Miss Childs?"

"Much better thank you Agent Barton." Jade looked from Clint to Banner eye's pleading to be released. Bruce just smiled and nodded his head, and before anyone knew Jade was up and had her good arm around Clint in a hug.

"Thank you for saving me." She whispered pulling back and looking up at him.

"Jade there is someone that would like to meet you." Clint spoke placing his hands on her shoulders and pushing her back to the center of the room. Clint stepped over to stand with Banner, as Tony entered the room.

Tony was left speechless, this girl, this grown up woman was his daughter. He couldn't make his mind believe it even though he knew from the DNA comparison he did it was true.

"Mr. Stark?" Jade spoke in disbelief, her brain was going a mile a minute trying to figure out why Tony Start, the most brilliant mind in the world would want to meet her. She swiftly walked up to him and stuck out her good hand for him to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you Sir, I greatly admire your current work on being able to provide green energy to large populations."

Tony just blinked looking down at Jade's extended hand. He couldn't move, he couldn't even comprehend how to make a words come out of his mouth.

Jade began to wonder if she had done something to offend him and began to pull her hand back slowly, when suddenly Stark wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her as though she were his lifeline. The pain in her arm suddenly shot through her body, and she let the scream escape through her lips.

Tony pulled back quickly looking her to make sure she was okay. It was at that moment he couldn't stop the tears that fell from his eyes even if he truly wanted to. She was his daughter, the daughter he thought he would never see again.

"Mr. Stark, are you alright?" Jade questioned, not sure as to why he was breaking down in front of her.

"Jade, Tony is your biological father." Banner whispered trying to bring some answers to the poor girls questioning looks.

Jade looked Tony's face over and immediately saw the similarities. "Dad?" The words sounded so foreign on her tongue. Her mind began to spin as her past raced in front of her eyes, it all started to make sense now. Her mother and he would have been so young at the time, such a smart kid having to be a father, I'm sure that's not what Stark Enterprises needed. Then the money, she always wondered how a single mother was able to never have to worry about money. There was always food on the table and her schooling was paid for debt free. "Daddy?" Jade tested it again trying to make sense of it all.

"Daddy." Whispered Jade and she wrapped her arm around Stark, gripping him tightly like he might fade away, ignoring the protests from her injured arm as she did so. Tony slowly brought his arms around Jade and held onto her as they both silently cried.

Clint took this moment to slip from the room, his mission was over, Jade was safe and they had the location of the Russian terrorist groups main base. Yet as he walked further away from the medical bay he couldn't help but wish he was he who had his arms around Jade at this very moment. A short time later he found himself in the training room, needing to relax he grabbed a bow and quiver of arrows and began to take aim at the targets at the other end of the room. Half an hour later he was down to his final arrow and as he steadied himself to fill the bulls-eye up completely he heard a small soft voice behind him. Letting loose the arrow in surprise it completely missed its target hitting high of the target into the wall. Clint turned around slowly to see Jade leaning on the door frame cradling her injured arm, he never even heard someone approaching.

"That's some good aim, sorry I distracted you."

"Shouldn't you be resting, and visiting with your newly found father?"

"I think his name was Director Fury paged my father to meet with him." Jade laughed lightly as she pushed off the frame and walked towards Clint. "It feels funny calling him my father. As for the resting Dr. Banner said I could wander around if I liked as I was starting to get a little stir crazy."

"I am glad to see you're doing better Miss Childs or should I be referring to you as Miss Stark now?" Clint chuckled while moving to stand in front of Jade.

"Please just call me Jade, Agent Barton." She smiled up at him with that warming smile of hers, and he found he just couldn't keep the wall up. Crushing his lips to hers he kissed her with burning passion, and she responded almost instantly. Her hand made its way to his hair and his found her bottom.

Lifting her up with his left he walked them towards the miscellaneous arms table and sweeper everything off with his right before sitting her down on it, all the while not breaking their kiss. Jade allowed herself to be laid down flush against the table as Clint crawled on top of her, his hungry kisses making their way to her neck.

"Mmhmm." Came a woman's voice from the door. Clint jumped off Jade and looked towards Natasha, putting on his soldier face he helped Jade up.

"Natasha?" Clint questioned quietly. Natasha did no look impressed.


End file.
